For years, Apple’s 27-inch iMac has been the company’s best desktop. The device was frequently updated with new processors and GPUs, unlike the Mac mini or Mac Pro, and its Retina 5K display was a great high-res screen. Its design even formed the basis of the iMac Pro, an even more powerful desktop computer that Apple released to prove that it remains committed to its high-end professional users.
But the big-screen iMac’s future is currently in doubt. After the screenless desktop Mac Studio was announced, the 27-inch Intel iMac disappeared from the Apple Online Store. The 24-inch iMac is currently the only iMac mentioned in the navigation bar, and all existing direct links to its 27-inch counterpart now redirect to the Mac page. Even more puzzling is that Apple’s senior vice president of hardware John Turnus said there was only “another”Mac that had yet to move to Apple Silicon, and the system he called was a Mac Pro, not more. big iMac.
Don’t bury the big iMac just yet. Persistent rumors from several sources for several months have suggested that a new large-screen All-in-One Mac is in the works. According to these rumors, the device will combine a large mini LED screen with more expensive versions of Apple’s processors. The best information we have at the moment suggests that the all-in-one could be unveiled sometime in the summer, perhaps at Apple’s annual developer conference. The Apple Silicon Mac line has been full of surprises, from the company’s redefinition of massive laptops to the existence of the tiny Mac Studio workstation. Maybe the new big-screen iMac is the Mac Pro, or maybe Apple plans to announce some other branding for it.
In the meantime, users who want a powerful Mac with a big screen can pair the $1,999 Mac Studio with a $1,599 Studio Display. However, this combo costs about twice as much as the cheapest 27-inch iMac. And while we generally like the panache of the 24-inch Apple Silicon iMac, the 24-inch is unlikely to be a real replacement for the old 27-inch version.